


On Ice

by sunaddicted



Series: Riddlebird Week 2k18 [2]
Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Dancing, Dorks in Love, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Future Fic, Ice Skating, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Lack of Communication, M/M, Riddlebird Week 2k18
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-11
Updated: 2018-06-11
Packaged: 2019-05-13 06:31:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14743737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunaddicted/pseuds/sunaddicted
Summary: [...]backstabbing was Gotham's most popular sport.





	On Ice

_ On Ice _

When Oswald had opened the Iceberg Lounge,  he hadn't imagined that the club would be anything more than just a luxurious spot in Diamond District where the bored and rich Gothamites could come to waste some money on watered-down and overpriced drinks; he certainly hadn't expected that it would become the centre of all his operations, nor that it would be the unofficial truce zone where all the most notorious criminals met to socialise and build connections.  

It wasn't unusual to spot Catwoman perched on the bar counter, staring a little too ostentatiously at the patrons' prized and expensive possessions, while chatting with a bundled up Poison Ivy; Joker and Harley would often crash the place after a particularly boring night, terrorizing the crowd and hijacking the cabaret show their relatively harmless cheap thrills of choice; even Scarecrow deigned the place of his presence, clad in one of his boring professor-like suits, and every time he was rigorously patted down by security to check that he didn't have any Fear Toxin or other dangerous concoctions on his person; surprisingly frequently, especially considered his particular history with both the owner and the place, the Riddler too would hang out at the Lounge and leave his impromptu audience both stunned and confused at his riddles.

Understandably, Oswald had been rather wary of the situation at the beginning: having those people amidst his clients - those people whom he had once known by name and had alternatively all been both his friends and his enemies at least once in his life - made him feel as if he was under siege. Nobody could be trusted in Gotham, it was a hard lesson that he had learned on his own flesh that bore the old marks of betrayal - gnarled skin and inflamed scars, blemishes that were constant reminders of what he could expect to happen whenever he lowered his walls.  

After all, backstabbing was Gotham's most popular sport.  

Plus, the now so called Rogues' - and yes, Oswald hated that he had been tossed into the hat too just because he happened to dislike Gotham's resident Flying Rat - consistent presence in his club attracted the GCPD that, led by a seemingly tireless James Gordon, buzzed around his establishment like bees around a hive.  

It had taken him some time - and several private meltdowns during which he had considered unleashing his insecurities on the unsuspecting city - to believe that he truly was seen as some kind of mothering figure that the Rogues could trust, rather than the weakest link in the chain that they could exploit to their advantages. 

He wasn't exactly thrilled by that fact but when he had given in to Jeremiah's request of turning the dance floor of the club into an ice skating ring, back when he still wasn't sporting his signature neon green hair, Oswald had realised that maybe the role of exasperated paternal figure fit him more than he liked to admit.

Since then, around Christmas time, Oswald let Mr Freeze turn his club into a proper winter wonderland to avoid being pestered by a bunch of unstable and childish grownups and the clientele was forced to wear skates with their formal suits and glittering dresses, furs casually slung over their shoulders in a crass display of wealth.  

At least his penguins adored it and they enthusiastically waddled around the club, as if to make up for the time they had to spend in their enclosure on the main floor for the rest of the year. 

And just like his birds, Oswald was more likely to fall on his arse rather than gracefully glide on the ice - the only difference being that his penguins looked adorable when they fell all over one another, while he would only seem a fool. 

Not that all of the Rogues were particularly adept skaters: Poison Ivy preferred sitting next to him at his table on a raised dais, sipping drinks from glasses misted over by the cold; Two-Face was a mess of uncoordinated limbs that landed in a heap on the floor more often than not; Firefly didn't even put a toe in the club when she knew that ice had taken over the whole place, would come back only when January had bled into February and Oswald had Fries restore the place to its usual state; the Joker stayed on his feet out of sheer recklessness, constantly off balance. 

Really, only Harley and the Riddler could preen about being amazingly good skaters and they had no qualms about showing off to the whole city; they often danced together, tugged and pushed each other, sped up on their skates to launch themselves in twirls and jumps that should have belonged into an Olympic arena. 

Considering how many clients their impromptu performances brought to the club, Oswald should have been paying them; he had settled for not charging them their drinks and Edward shamelessly took advantage of the situation, downing one Grasshopper after the other and stealing flûtes of champagne from the paying customers - well aware of the fact that Oswald was way too taken with his dance on the ice to reprimand him.  

And how could Oswald be anything else but completely captivated?

In his neon green latex suit covered in golden swirls and glitter, bowler hat abandoned in favour of displaying dishevelled and sweaty curls and whole body quivering like a violin string at the physical effort that reddened his cheeks, Edward Nygma looked like a wet dream. 

Decades after betraying each other and he still was in love.  

Oswald had long given up on understanding his foolish heart and just put a gilded cage around it, let it flutter away in its prison of gold.  

“You're drooling” 

Oswald rolled his eyes as he bent down to pick up the penguin that had been insistently bumping into his ankles to catch his attention and put it on his lap, gloved hands petting the rather round and fluffy bird “You point that out every single time” 

Ivy shrugged, warily observed as the other man let himself be nipped at by that deceptively harmless beak “You could be a lot less obvious”

“I'm not the only one drooling here” Oswald reminded her and nodded towards Harley, the skirt of her figure skating dress riding up at every twirl and jump in a way that really left little to imagination. 

Ivy arched an eyebrow “She's my partner”

“As Edward is mine”

“ _ Officially _ , Oswald” 

She had a point there, much to his displeasure: even if their relationship was the Rogues’ worst kept secret, Edward still didn't want them to be public - no matter how many times Oswald had tried telling him that it hurt him, that he didn't want to feel like Edward was ashamed of being with him..  He knew that he wasn't much when compared to the other man: beauty wasn't something that had ever been in his cards - not even when he had been thinner and younger.

Oswald sighed and looked down at the penguin happily snuggled into his chest, clearly not inclined to move any time soon “He likes being gawked at” he shrugged. 

“He likes making you look like a pining fool” Ivy spat out, disapproval written all over her features “I don't understand why you let him walk all over you: you have more self respect than that”

Oswald brought his fingers to his forehead, massaging a little to get rid of the pressure that was gathering behind his eyes and threatened to bloom into a full headache “I'm not going to push him out of the closet” 

“Everybody knows you're together and nobody has given him shit about that” 

“Still" 

“No" Ivy leaned over and closed her fingers around the other's wrist “He  _ dates _ , Oswald” 

Did Ivy really need to throw  _ that  _ in his face?

As if it wasn't already hard enough, watching the man he loved snog any stupid harlot that solved his riddles and paid him attention; as if it didn't already hurt enough, knowing that he wasn't worthy of being at his arm in public; as if it wasn't already painfully obvious that only one of them was in love.  

“Remember when you were afraid of being perceived as weak, when we started using the Lounge as a truce zone?”

Oswald only offered a sharp nod in answer, lips twisted in a grimace: he knew what she was going to say next - a truth he had internalized and proceeded to ignore in favour of taking anything he could from Edward, anything the other man would let him have.  

_ Starved for scraps.   _

“You were strong, that's why we came here: still at the top, after having been thrown down the throne time after time” Ivy's voice grew more tender, less cold “Edward using you like this makes you appear weaker than if he came out and stood by your side”

The Rogues  _ pitied _ him.  

“If I push him for more, he'll leave” 

“Then let him” Ivy stood up, bending down only to kiss the older man's forehead in a comforting manner “Don't make the same mistake Harley made with Jeremiah”

A bitter laugh tore its way out Oswald's lips “I assure you, Edward isn't beating me up”

“Physical violence isn't the only way a relationship can turn abusive” Ivy raised a finger to stop Oswald from retorting “Maybe it's not abusive - not yet. But he isn't good to you, Oswald” she said before leaving, a pair of sparkly heels in hand that definitely belonged to Harley. 

Oswald watched with envy as Harley skated her way up to Ivy, her arms enveloping the redhead in a warm and affectionate embrace while their lips connected in a kiss - something that Oswald could only dream about having with Edward. He kept his eyes trained on them as Ivy helped Harley to change her shoes, taking care of properly storing the younger woman's skates into their bag so that they wouldn't accidentally be damaged before they walked out of the club, hand in hand and heads bent close together.

He never had something like that.  

And he  _ never  _ would. 

“Ivy stole my dancing partner” 

Oswald didn't need to look up to recognise the owner of that voice, but he couldn't help raising his eyes to Edward's face: he looked so alive and warm, like Oswald rarely saw him - during the stolen nights in a darkened room,  “It seems so” 

“Dance with me?”

“Have you ever seen me skate?” Oswald retorted.

Edward shrugged and offered the other man his hand, palm up and fingers relaxed in invitation “Doesn't mean that you don't know how, does it?”

Oswald knew how to skate; he'd learnt the one time his mother had managed to scrape enough money together to take him to Hungary, hellbent that he should visit at least once the country of his ancestors and cradle of all his heritage. His memories of that trip were quite blurred, a chaotic whirlwind of falling snow and cathedrals throwing themselves up to the sky in a way that reminded him of home - of Gotham and its gothic skyscrapers “My leg..”

“I'll make sure to keep you upright if it gives out on you” Edward hurried to reassure the other man “Please?” 

Oswald had never been good to say no to Edward, nor even when it would have been more beneficial to his health - physical and psychological - to do so “Fine” he sighed, snapping his fingers to attract the attention of someone from his staff: he had a pair of skates in his office, brand new, just in case he would need them even if he did his hardest to avoid having to use them. 

He barely even remembered how to slip them on.  

“Let me help” Edward offered as he knelt down, balancing on the plastic-sheathed blades of his skates “Too tight?”

Oswald shook his head “No, they feel alright” 

“Good, keep the covers on the blades until we're on the ice or they'll get ruined” Edward recommended and offered Oswald a hand, easily drawing him up and herding him towards the rink after the man had gently put down on the floor the penguin that had been snuggling up to him; he knew all of Oswald's weak spots, which just meant that he knew how to exploit them both to hurt and to help him.  

Apparently Oswald didn't have as much faith in his abilities.

“You need to relax” Edward told him honestly as he tossed their covers on a chair by the rink and slowly tugged Oswald towards its centre. 

“Easy for you to say”

Edward rolled his eyes “Tension locks your muscles and that makes you more prone to falling down on your arse”

Being reminded of that definitely wasn't helpful, especially as he could feel everyone's eyes on them - on him. On the Penguin who never joined his patrons on the ice, who preferred to stay perched on his throne and look down upon them.  

_ They awaited his fall.  _

Edward spun Oswald around, hands holding the other's elbows to keep him steady “Trust me” 

“How can I?” Oswald immediately regretted the words when they slipped past his lips, wincing at himself - it was all of Ivy’s fault.  

“What do you mean?”

Oswald sighed “How can I trust you to not let me fall when you won't even be faithful to me?”

Edward's frown deepened “They mean nothing, you know that”

“Do I?” 

“Oswald don't be-"

“If you say ridiculous, I'm going to kick you until the blade of my skate lodges itself into your shin and then you'll be as much of a cripple as I am” Oswald said in a cold voice - blue eyes even colder “I'm the one who's kept in the shadows, not them” 

Edward pursed his lips as he led Oswald into careful spins across the ice, tentatively following the rhythm of the music “You're wrong”

“Show me” 

_ If I push him for more, he'll leave. _

_ Then let him. _

“The others-" 

“-know.  The others know, Edward” it was so tiring, hearing always the same excuses - the same frivolous reasons why the other man would keep him tucked in the dark, ashamed of him “We're done”

“Oswald-"

“I can't go on like this”

“If only-" 

“No, it's clear you don't think our arrangement should be any different and I  _ do  _ deserve something different”

Edward sighed with frustration and bent down, his lips pressing firmly against Oswald's “If only you'd let me finish talking for once” he murmured against the other's mouth, almost able to taste the shock and surprise on Oswald's breath “Happy now?”

Oswald nodded.  

And they danced.

Together.    
  


**Author's Note:**

> Could you tell from this fic that I'm extremely pissed at how they ruined Edward's character this season? 
> 
> Also, sorta Christmas fic in June? Yeah, I'm contradictory like that.


End file.
